New Indian Ocean Cetacean Identification Cards available

The IOTC has produced a valuable new resource for identification of cetaceans in the Indian Ocean.

A great new resource has just become available to all those working with cetaceans or cetacean-fisheries interactions in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has been working on the development of a set of cetacean identification cards for Indian Ocean Fisheries. These have been finalised and released for free download.

The cards are available as part of a series of resources and ID cards produced and available through the IOTC. The Cetacean ID cards were designed by ASWN member, Gill Braulik, and their development was supported in part by the Marine Mammal Commission, which has also supported the ASWN and its various initiatives. The IOTC website contains the following text and link to download the PDF:

‘The IOTC Secretariat has finalised the development of field identification cards for cetaceans in the Indian Ocean. The cards were developed by an independent consultant, Dr Gill Braulik, in collaboration with the Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch at the request of the Scientific Committee. This guide is a tool for the identification of the main cetacean species interacting with pelagic fisheries for tuna and tuna-like species. It is a small-sized, waterproof, pocket guide intended for use onboard vessels by fishers and scientific observers to improve the quality of the data collected in the IOTC Area of Competence.The identification cards were produced in English and will shortly be published and printed in French and other priority languages identified by the Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch thanks to support from the Marine Mammal Commission. Please send enquiries regarding hard copies to IOTC-secretariat@fao.org.

Example of one of the species ID cards produced by the IOTC. A limited number of hard copies (laminated and pocket-size for convenience on board vessels) are available from the IOTC Secretariat. It is also available for download in PDF format.